Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Postal Convention: France & United States 1857

In order to facilitate my own ease of reference (and perhaps others who might read this blog), I am including the text of the US/France treaty materials that pertain to my interest in trans-Atlantic mails between the two nations.  These files were originally downloaded from Richard Frajola's site resources.  They are now housed by the US Philatelic Classics Society.


Text of the 1857
Postal Convention between
the United States and France

My interest in this treaty is centered around the use of the 24 cent adhesive that was first issued in August of 1861.  The amendment to the postal convention that is shown below was in force by the time this stamp was in use.  Thus, both of these documents can be taken as a whole when looking at the blog post featuring mail from the United States to France.

Text of the 1861 Amendment
to the Postal Convention
between the United States
and France

Of particular interest are the tables included in both the convention and then revised for the 1861 Amendment to the convention.  These clearly delineated how mail was to be routed between the two countries.  Throughout the effective period of this convention that overlaps with the common use period of the 1861 24 cent, these routes were typically followed.

Tables with
mail routing
 included with the
1861 Amendment